


Dance to The Masochism Tango

by M0useB0nes



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Death, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Multi, William is a creep
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-03-04 13:38:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13365858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M0useB0nes/pseuds/M0useB0nes
Summary: [MATURE IS FOR VIOLENCE][WARNINGS ARE STATED]{i'm so salty i can't use the cover on here, I worked so hard on it >:((}(Ship is unhealthy PurplePhone/PGxPG)(Established JereMike with implied Fritz)Welcome to the beginning of a whole different story.From what I picked up from the characters, this ship wouldn't be the sappy healthy relationship everyone makes it out to be.Five Nights at Freddy's is a horror series after all.Heads up, It's gonna get dark.*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*I don't want to spoil much, but in summary,Percy Myles is the anxiety ridden manager of Freddy Fazbear's Pizzarea. He often takes nightshifts when no one else will cover them, but can usually be found attempting to keep kids from drowning in that god forsaken ball bit.William is Percy's boss--well, one of them at least--and is described as "giving people the jeebles". He's often very peppy, though he's known to be rather threatening when angry.That's about all I can summarize. Read for more details.No, I do NOT ship this, especially in my own canon! I’m just rewriting an old fic!





	1. Chapter 1

(Original Prologue)

 

Erik sighed, grabbing his school bag and slamming the door as he left. He rubbed his eyes, still both furious and upset at his parents for not explaining that they were moving until the last minute. He sighed again as he entered the school. 'Maybe I can just avoid Kory... He'll understand, right?...'  
Another sigh escaped the 13 year old's mouth as he walked to his locker. He flinched as two of his 4 closest friends, Mike Schmidt and Jeremy Fitzgerald (Mike's adopted brother)((who's only 12 yet in the same grade as them)), ran up to him. "Erik, what's wrong?" the younger one said, tugging on the teen's sleeve, "You look like you were crying.."  
"Nothing..." Erik responded, not daring to look either of them in the eyes,  
Mike, an 8th grader, like Erik, grabbed the other teen's shoulders and spun him around. "Jere's right...You've been crying. What's wrong?"  
"My family is moving and they didn't tell me until today..."  
"A-are you moving tomorrow?" Jeremy asked nervously, his bangs shifting as he tried to find a way to occupy himself so he could pay attention.  
Erik shook his head, watching Jeremy as he started cleaning a scuff mark off of the floor with his shoe, "Next week, but we're going to be packing until Monday, which is when we leave.."  
The other two sighed as Erik grabbed his things. "J-Just don't mention it to Kory.. He won't take it well.. I'll figure out how to break it to him.."  
Jeremy leaned against the lockers, sighing heavily as Erik grabbed a picture of a kitten and handed it to him.  
Mike glanced up, "So... Where you going to?"   
"Glasgow, Scotland. My older brother wants to live there, and I didn't even get a say in it.."  
Mike looked down at his brother, "How far is that from here?"  
"3,315 miles from here in Pennsylvania to Glasgow."  
Erik sighed once again, shutting his locker and nodding in defeat. "3,315 miles...."  
"Well... Better go tell Kory as soon as you can... it's better to get it over with." Mike said, acting nonchalant.  
Jeremy sighed, hugging Erik's leg, ((he's very short compared to Erik. Jere is 4'4 and Erik. is 5'6. Tall, I know.)) "I can't believe you're leaving..."  
"What do you mean leaving?"  
The three teenagers froze.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Quick content warnings of graphic description of death and suicide mention. Tread carefully.]  
> [on a quick side note, Happy Holidays!!!]

 It was a few years ago. 3 or 4. Maybe 5. When he died, I mean. He'd been going through a lot. Disowned by his family for little else than his bisexuality, his wife leaving and daughter's death, having a hard time keeping jobs, my nearly fatal injury just the day before, the depression Mike and I had seen taking its toll a long while before slowly creeping back full force after years and years of simple down days. I can understand why it's hard to believe what had happened was an accident.

     I don't believe it was either.

     Robots that are bolted down and being worked on don't exactly just fall with their mouths open onto someone. I should know that for a fact. That's why you don't stay after hours.

     Of course, that's not what everyone was told. His death was a "vehicular accident". As if he could even get out of bed to work on his car.

     Mike thinks it was suicide, understandably. That he'd purposefully made a fatal mistake while trying to work in a funk and regretted it. I don't think it was an accident either. Maybe the animatronic went to attack and he just.. let it.. as uncharacteristic as that sounds.

    The scene was horrific. I never thought I'd ever get the image out of my head..

     There was so much blood. A major artery had clearly been severed by the metal teeth. I could hardly recognize him... yet his expression was what I can assume was terrified from what I saw... His throat had been punctured. Or was it crushed? God, I don't remember... I don't want to remember.

     It hurts to be here again. It probably hurts Mike, too.  This place holds too many bad memories.

     But it's the only place hiring.

There's a soft tap on my shoulder, and, out of surprise, I swivel around to see who it was. He seems rather taken aback by the heavy scarring. Then again, who isn't.

"Fitzgerald, right? It's been a while!"

"Uh, Yeah. Sorry for the weird reaction, Mr. Afton. I can't see or hear on my right side anymore."

"Ah yes, the whole bite incident. My condolences on that, Henry's programming must have a flaw in it. If you don't mind my prying, was there any other damage? And please, no need to be so formal! Call me William!"

"Okay.. William.. uh, the damage was all in the frontal lobe, thankfully, similar to the incident a few years ago." His expression falls slightly. He must have had some sort of connection to the bite. "Um, all of my left hand is paralyzed from the wrist down, and I had to learn how to problem solve, write, and walk again. I'm also still trying to figure out what's appropriate and not in conversation." The situation is awkward. I can't help but laugh. Bad idea, nice going Jeremy.

Luckily, William laughs too. "I see. It was the same way with my son. You know the whole 'Bite of '83' thing from Fredbear's Diner? He somehow managed himself into the mouth of the animatronic and the damage was pretty bad. He's recovered pretty well, so that's good I guess." He sighs. "I can't help but think I could have prevented it had I watched a bit closer. It's odd, though, as he always seemed terrified of the robots after..." he stopped, clearing his throat.

Right. How could I have forgotten he had kids?

He laughs again, softer. "Well, not much I can do now. We're still working on re-learning. Anyway, what brings you back today, Jeremy?"

"Oh. Uh, my friend Michael needs a job, and this is the only place hiring right now. Do you think you could possibly get him in? We applied a few weeks ago. I'd be okay to help or show him the ropes, if you don't need me anywhere else."

Mike turns around with a soft 'huh?' when he hears his name, distracted and disturbed by the robots on stage.

"Michael? Where have I heard that before?"

Mike comes over, holding out a hand. "Michael Schmidt. Call me Mike. Jere applied for me a while back since we're both kind of money tight."

"Ah, Yes, now I remember. Well, since you're in need of money, and we're in need of staff, welcome to the job!" He takes Mike's hand, shaking it vigorously.

Mike smiles. He seems to enjoy it here.

"One more thing," William says, turning to the door to the main room, calling out in a sing-song voice, "Oh, Scott! I need you for a minute!"

There's scurrying footsteps, and who I can just barely remember is Scott appears around the corner, paperwork flying out of his arms as he just about crashes into the wall. He's stopped by William before he manage to hit the surface, though. He takes a moment to speak, panting. "Yeah, Boss? What do you need?"

"Would you kindly show the new guys around? And give me those papers, I'll take care of them."

Scott drops the papers onto a nearby desk, and I notice the bandaids and medical tape covering his hands. He turns back to Mike and I, gesturing for us to follow. We do. "So, How is everything healin' Jere?"

"Pretty well. My left hand and the right side of my face besides my eye is totally paralyzed, so that's nice. Not like I can see out of it anyway. I had to learn how to write with my right hand, I can't hear or see on my right, and I have trouble with basic math. Oh, yeah, I also mess up with social cues."

"Sounds like hell."

"Feels like it too."

"It's amazing that the body can survive without the frontal lobe, y'know? Like the Boss's son for example. It was so damaged he had to learn how to use his whole body again, and nearly got paralyzed completely. He's so...void of emotion, too. It's kinda creepy. Didn't deter any of his other kids though. Michael wants to work here when he can."

It was a few years ago. 3 or 4. Maybe 5. When he died, I mean. He'd been going through a lot. Disowned by his family for little else than his bisexuality, his wife leaving and daughter's death, having a hard time keeping jobs, my nearly fatal injury just the day before, the depression Mike and I had seen taking its toll a long while before slowly creeping back full force after years and years of simple down days. I can understand why it's hard to believe what had happened was an accident.

 

    I don't believe it was either.

 

    Robots that are bolted down and being worked on don't exactly just fall with their mouths open onto someone. I should know that for a fact. That's why you don't stay after hours.

 

    Of course, that's not what everyone was told. His death was a "vehicular accident". As if he could even get out of bed to work on his car.

 

    Mike thinks it was suicide, understandably. That he'd purposefully made a fatal mistake while trying to work in a funk and regretted it. I don't think it was an accident either. Maybe the animatronic went to attack and he just.. let it.. as uncharacteristic as that sounds.

 

   The scene was horrific. I never thought I'd ever get the image out of my head..

 

    There was so much blood. A major artery had clearly been severed by the metal teeth. I could hardly recognize him... yet his expression was what I can assume was terrified from what I saw... His throat had been punctured. Or was it crushed? God, I don't remember... I can’t remember.. I don't want to remember.

 

    It hurts to be here again. It probably hurts Mike, too.  This place holds too many bad memories.

 

    But it's the only place hiring.

There's a soft tap on my shoulder, and, out of surprise, I swivel around to see who it was. He seems rather taken aback by the heavy scarring. Then again, who isn't.

 

"Fitzgerald, right? It's been a while!"

 

"Uh, Yeah. Sorry for the weird reaction, Mr. Afton. I can't see or hear on my right side anymore."

 

"Ah yes, the whole bite incident. My condolences on that, Henry's programming must have a flaw in it. If you don't mind my prying, was there any other damage? And please, no need to be so formal! Call me William!"

 

"Okay.. William.. uh, the damage was all in the frontal lobe, thankfully, similar to the incident a few years ago." His expression falls slightly. He must have had some sort of connection to the bite. "Um, all of my left hand is paralyzed from the wrist down, and I had to learn how to problem solve, write, and walk again. I'm also still trying to figure out what's appropriate and not in conversation." The situation is awkward. I can't help but laugh. Bad idea, nice going Jeremy.

 

Luckily, William laughs too. "I see. It was the same way with my son. You know the whole 'Bite of '83' thing from Fredbear's Diner? He somehow managed himself into the mouth of the animatronic and the damage was pretty bad. He's recovered pretty well, so that's good I guess." He sighs. "I can't help but think I could have prevented it had I watched a bit closer. It's odd, though, as he always seemed terrified of the robots after..." he stopped, clearing his throat.

 

Right. How could I have forgotten he had kids?

 

He laughs again, softer. "Well, not much I can do now. We're still working on re-learning. Anyway, what brings you back today, Jeremy?"

 

"Oh. Uh, my friend Michael needs a job, and this is the only place hiring right now. Do you think you could possibly get him in? We applied a few weeks ago. I'd be okay to help or show him the ropes, if you don't need me anywhere else."

 

Mike turns around with a soft 'huh?' when he hears his name, distracted and disturbed by the robots on stage.

 

"Michael? Where have I heard that before?"

 

Mike comes over, holding out a hand. "Michael Schmidt. Call me Mike. Jere applied for me a while back since we're both kind of money tight."

 

"Ah, Yes, now I remember. Well, since you're in need of money, and we're in need of staff, welcome to the job!" He takes Mike's hand, shaking it vigorously.

 

Mike smiles. He seems to enjoy it here.

 

"One more thing," William says, turning to the door to the main room, calling out in a sing-song voice, "Oh, Perc! I need you for a minute!"

 

There's scurrying footsteps, and a man, seemingly fresh out of High School, who I can just barely remember is Percy appears around the corner, paperwork flying out of his arms as he just about crashes into the wall. He's stopped by William before he manages to hit the surface, though. He takes a moment to speak, panting. "Yeah, Mister Afton? What do you need?"

 

"Would you kindly show the new guys around? And give me those papers, I'll take care of them."

 

Percy drops the papers onto a nearby desk, and I notice the bandaids and medical tape covering his hands. He turns back to Mike and I, gesturing for us to follow. We do. "So, How is everything healing Jere? It’s good to see you out of the hospital! It’s been a while!"

 

"Pretty well. My left hand and the right side of my face besides my eye is totally paralyzed, so that's nice. Not like I can see out of it anyway. I had to learn how to write with my right hand, I can't hear or see on my right, and I have trouble with basic math. I also can’t remember at all how to do anything that has too many steps."

 

"Oh damn. Sounds like hell."

 

"Feels like it too."

 

"It's amazing that the body can survive without the frontal lobe, y'know? Mister Afton’s son, Noah, for example. It was so damaged he had to learn how to use his whole body again, and nearly got paralyzed completely. He's so...void of emotion, too. It's kinda creepy. Didn't deter any of his other kids though. Michael wants to work here when he can."

 

"Wait Michael me or Michael Afton?" Mike cuts in, clearly confused.

 

"Michael Afton. Speaking of which, You're Schmidt, right? Jere’s boyfriend? Should I call you Mike?"

 

"Call me whatever, I don't mind."

 

"Rad. I gotta warn you not to stay after hours. That's my job right now, so don't fret. I'm just here working a little overtime to make up for an unannounced personal day. My dog got sick so I had to take care of him, and my sink keeps breaking. But I'm here now so that's good."

 

"So what's with those creepy robots?" Mike cuts in, gesturing to the stage.

 

"Huh? Oh! The animatronics! Yeah. The Big Boss Henry made those. Freddy Fazbear, Chica Chicken and Bonnie Bunny. They're new and improved. Foxy is a pirate now, no longer a mangled mess of bits. The only difference is that, Uh.." he points to Bonnie. "That one has no eyebrows."

 

"Oh. That's.. Nice?"

 

"No need to compliment it, they freaked me and Henry’s kids, too."

 

"Henry has a daughter?"

 

"Well, Uh.. had. Her name was.. Charlotte I think? I only ever called her Charlie, anyway. Everybody did. She was fun. We used to hang out every day. Hard not to, considering I was living with her." Percy chuckles. "Back when I was just starting here, when I was helping the older employees keep kids from drowning in that  _ god forsaken ball pit _ and she was visiting with Henry, I was usually talking to her."

 

    "She sounds nice!" I say, unsure how else to respond.

 

    "She was. I miss her.."

 

    "So are we gonna continue the tour or what?"

 

    "Oh! Right! Man I gotta start writing things down or something. Heh. Right this way, gentleman!"


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Quick Content warnings of implied neglect, mention of death, and Willy Asston acting creepy]
> 
> [this chapter is in Scott's P.O.V. But third person, though it may shift from chapter to chapter]  
> (Apologies for the long wait! I ordered the Freddy Files and The Twisted Ones for more info (along with a fredbear plush a rock and a humidifier, and I'm saving up for the games I don't have (two through SL) so expect more info! Now I just gotta wait for mom to approve the order >_>'')
> 
> (Additionally, since the Aftons are shown to have English accents I'll use spelling for that(ie, honour,))

Mike and Jeremy had been working with Percy during the days for about a month. Today, a particularly angry mother had been snapping at Percy for not keeping her son from being knocked over by mistake, which the child had laughed off due to the fun he was having.

 

"I demand to speak to your manager, young man!" The angry soccer mom yelled, gesturing wildly.

 

"Okay, just one second, ma'am, and I'll get him for you." Percy turned on his heel, did a 360 and turned back to the woman, holding out his hand. "Hi, ma'am, I'm Percy, the manager! How can I help you today?"

 

She seemed taken aback, and left grumbling.

 

Jeremy seemed to just materialize beside Percy, whistling as best he could with a half-functional face. "Man, she was insistent."

 

"Yeah. Not the worst I've had though. One even asked to see the boss, and when he didn't do anything, asked to speak to Henry, who also didn't do a thing about her problem."

 

"Hey, what time is it? I can't see the clock from here."

 

"Uh, almost closing time."

 

"Oh, cool. Wanna come over to Mike's and my place after we're done here? I mean, A-Boss is taking charge of the night shift so you could probably spend the night if you wanted."

 

"I'll come over but I can't stay. My dog'll be expecting me. She's very strict on when she has to be fed."

 

"She can stay too if she wants. We don't live on campus so we're allowed to have pets."

Percy thought about it for a moment, mentally running through his tasks for the night. "Well, I could easily swing by and feed her then come over, since I'd basically be working nightshift to her."

 

"You don't have to come if you can't, I just wanted to offer."

 

    "Nah it's fine. I'll probably swing by and stay for a bit if that's alright?"

 

    "Sure thing! We only have instant noodles to eat at the moment though, so that's fun. Lotta sodium."

 

    "Is that all you guys can afford, or..?"

 

    "Sometimes, but we always have a surplus. It's easy to make and cheap, so it's just convenient to have. Mike usually spends all of his spare change at arcades and stuff, too."

 

    Percy nodded, checking the clock once again and looking for any stray children. "Hey, it's time to go."

 

    Jeremy gathered up his things and scurried out the door, Percy on his heels.

 

*~*~*~*~*~*

 

The next day, Michael and Noah had been dragged along to the pizzeria with their father. The two were staying a distance away from the animatronics. Understandably. Noah was probably traumatized by them.

 

    William had been trying for an hour to get Michael up and away from his brother so he could see the animatronics to no avail.

 

"Oh, come on Mike!" William chirped, tapping his son on the shoulder. "Joy is contagious, you know!"

 

"Good thing I'm vaccinated." Came the hissed reply.

 

Noah was fast asleep in his brother's lap, curled up around a yellow teddy bear Percy had often seen him carrying everywhere. He had bandages around his already healed wounds. Percy found that odd. Maybe he wasn't as keen on showing them off as Jeremy. Speaking of which Jeremy was still supposed to have his bandaged. He'd have to check on that later.

 

The two surely didn't get along with their father. It was hard not to wonder why.

"Why don't you two ever spend time with me anymore? I miss getting to see my boys."

Michael batted away the hand ruffling his hair. "Maybe if you weren't out drinking all the time or holed up in the basement, you could spend time with us at home. How about that?"

 

"Look, Mike, I'm trying. Can’t you meet me halfway?"

 

"No thanks."

 

    Noah stirred slightly, clutching the stuffed Freddy closer to his chest.

 

    "Why do you have to be so difficult, Mike? It's been forever since the three of us have hung out!"

 

    "Then spend time with your sons at home for once in your life! God, I knew we should have left with mum."

 

William sighed in frustration, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was clearly becoming agitated.

 

    Michael brought his hands away from his brother only to fix his hair tie, hostile glare still set on his father. "Look, even if we wanted to spend time with a paternal figure, I could just call Henry. He'd be overjoyed to see us."

 

    "I don't doubt your right, but he's busy with his own problems."

 

    "So I won't bother him." Michael shook his brother gently. "Noah, come on, we're going home."

 

    The younger rubbed at his eyes, stretching. "Huh..?"

 

    Michael stood, taking his brother's hand. Noah wobbled to stand, clutching onto the older's shirt for support and dragging his feet as the duo headed for the door.

 

    "Fine, you win! But you're walking back, you know!"

 

"Sounds fine to me! I need the exercise anyway!"

 

    Percy decided to intervene. "Hey, Mike!"

 

    Michael turned to face the other. "Oh. Afternoon, Percy." His tone has gone from bitter to cheerful very quickly. "How are you?"

 

    Percy smiled. Nailed it. "Ah, I'm good. Busy, but good. How's yourself?"

 

    "Same as always. High school's a struggle."

 

    "I see." Percy carefully stooped so he was eye level with Noah. "And, how are you, Noah?"

 

    "Sleepy..." Noah yawned in response, letting his head rest on his brother's hip and tightening his grip when he began to fall.

 

    "Wouldn't blame you. You probably didn't get much sleep did you?"

 

    The 15-year-old hummed a 'no', holding his bear closer to his chest.

 

    "So, what have you two been up to?"

 

    "Well, I've been looking for job applications so we don't have to rely on 'dear old dad' for financial help anymore, looking for apartments to move into when I can afford it. Same old same old. Noah's been trying to fix his nocturnal nature now that he's back into school. We've been visiting Henry a lot too, but you probably know this already."

 

    Percy had his own visits to Henry from time to time. It had started as invitations from Charlie to come play flashlight tag or have a tea party. Eventually he’d been liberated from his mother and moved in, but turned into a small tradition of checking in on Henry and Sammy not long after her untimely death and his moving out. 

 

"Interesting! You're clearly having a more fun time than I am. All I've been doing is trying to fix my sink for the 10th time this month."

 

    Noah snorted at that, face turned up in a weak smile.

 

"I could drop by and try to fix it for you if you'd like?" Michael offered, "I've had to repair our own more than once."

 

"Nah, it's alright. It just doesn't want to stay fixed."

 

Michael laughed this time, reaching for his brother's coat and helping the younger bundle up. "Well we'd best be going. I'd like to live up to my word of going home. Two miles isn't that far to walk. 48 minutes at most."

 

An awkward laugh. "I guess you could say that. Nice to see you after so long, guys!"

 

"Nice to see you too. Come on Noah."

 

The two disappeared out the door and around the corner.

 

Percy jumped when William seemed to appear behind him. "So, I see you're acquainted with my sons?"

 

"M-Mister Afton, we practically grew up together. Remember? I moved in with Henry next door to you. You were there when it happened..."

 

"Right.."

 

"You seem.." an awkward gesture to the other. "tense... everything alright?"

 

"Nothing much. Michael's being bitter as usual."

 

"He made it sound like you hardly ever talk to them. I-I gotta say, I kinda believe him.."

 

"He's upset I'm 'keeping secrets from him', which is hardly the case.. he's just looking for attention and causing a scene, as always."

 

"Oh… That sounds nothing like him.."

 

"Would you like to come over sometime?" The question came out of nowhere.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Would you like to come over sometime."

 

"What for?"

 

"Henry's stopping by for a while this weekend. Have you seen him in a while? You should come visit."

 

"Oh, uh. Thanks for the offer, but I think I'd feel kinda awkward in my boss's house… It’s been too long.."

 

A long silence. Percy grew uncomfortable of William's unrelenting gaze.

 

"Alright then." William broke the silence. "Maybe some other time. Tell Henry I say hi if you see him any sooner."

 

Needless to say, Percy left work quite confused that day.


	4. Chapter 3 (I know they’re out of order, the updates and original prologue count against me :( )

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Content Warnings of Suicide mention, implied neglect, implied abuse, and implied excessive alcohol use (not alcoholism though)]
> 
> [This Chapter is 3rd person, following Jeremy]
> 
> [I have no perception of time, insomnia, and I think the flu]
> 
> [Anyway, I apologize for the weird formatting. I mostly write this on mobile Wattpad since I'm hardly ever at my computer, as I'm a high school freshman with no life outside of school who needs to pick up their dang drivers handbook so they can get their learners permit and drive themselves places.]
> 
> [Anyway, the indents will be a string of spaces if they end up showing up, but I'll be sure to level it out to look like proper indentions that actually show up.]
> 
> [ALSO, if you have any suggestions for major events in future chapters, do drop them! I greatly appreciate suggestions, as I get writers block very easily.]

_ "Fritz? Why are you calling, it's three in the morning..?" _

 

_ "I can’t sleep." _

 

_ "Go drink some tea or something." _

 

_ "I've tried." _

 

_     A yawn. "Try your Valium stuff." _

 

_     "Already have. If I take any more I could overdose, especially with all my other medication, and I promised I would never intentionally self harm again. I pinky swore dude, you know I'm serious." _

 

_     "Fair point, Fair point. So why are you calling?" _

 

_     "You know that one music box you have..?" _

_... _

_     "Jeremy? Jeremy, come on, get up." _

 

_     "JEREMY!" _

 

    Jeremy jumped to attention, blankets entangling his legs as he scurried to sit. Remnants of the dream still rang through his ears. Metallic screams, music boxes, the call, phantom pains of metal teeth buzzing through his scars, Mike's panicked reaction to his horrible state…

 

Fritz…

 

"Jere, you okay?"

 

"Yeah.. I-I think so.."

 

"You're crying..."

 

"Huh..?"

 

Mike gently took Jeremy's face in his hands, resting his forehead against the other's. "Was it the dream again..?"

 

Jeremy nodded, tearing up again and throwing himself into Mike's embrace.

 

    Mike went to gently kiss the other's tears away,  but decided against it, allowing Jeremy to cling onto him.

 

    "I-I miss him s-s-so much.." Jeremy eventually hiccupped out, operational hand clawing into Mike's back with surprising force. "I j-just want hi-him b-back!!"

 

    "I know, Jere, I miss him too..."

 

"I don't understand! H-h-he didn't de-deserve it!"

 

The two sat in the embrace for a good 10 minutes, until Jeremy had stopped crying and fallen back asleep.

 

Mike decided to call in and request a day shift in order to stay with Jeremy for the night.

 

"Hey, uh, A-Boss? I got a bit of a problem with Jere.."

 

*~*~*~*~*

 

Today, it was Mike and Jeremy's turn to meet William's sons, Percy having introduced them that morning.

 

Jeremy and Noah hit it off immediately, bonding over their shared incidents, the process of attempting a normal life again, their struggles, and things of the like.

 

Mike and Michael had taken to conversing about the animatronics, Michael often pitching in to Jeremy and Noah's conversation to elaborate on missing information, and to poke innocent fun at his brother, often leading to a punch on the arm. Michael was far more into the mechanics behind the robots, Mike critiquing their designs or pointing out Bonnie's lack of eyebrows, which they both got a good laugh out of.

 

"Hey Mike, didn't you bring your sketchbook with you today?" Jeremy piped in when the topic of art had come up between the four.

 

"Oh yeah! Hold on, Jere can you cover for me while I grab it?"

 

"Yeah, sure thing! Take your time."

 

Mike dashed off, returning a short time later with a roughed up spiral bound sketch book. He sat back down, flipping through it and showing off his favorite sketches and full blown pieces. To his surprise, Michael gave a bit of critique whenever he mentioned that 'something felt off' in a piece.

 

A little bit later the sketchbook was stored away again, and the conversation continued, occasionally interrupted by an excited child asking where the bathrooms were or the occasional ecstatic screaming of the extremely joyful ones running by. Micheal even snuck a piece of candy to one of them with her mother's okay.

 

Noah started playing with his brother's shoelaces. "Micheal, you should tell us a story."

 

"What kind?"

 

"I dunno, but you should tell us one. Ooh!! Or a riddle!"

 

"Alright, let me think..."

 

"Tell the family one!"

 

"Noah, you know that one, so you can't answer or tell them."

 

"Fair enough! I can’t remember it anyway!"

 

"Alright, well," Michael began, clapping, "It's an early Sunday morning. There's a family of five getting ready for the day. A mother, a father, two brothers and a sister. The mother is making breakfast, the father is out to get the post, the youngest child is playing with her toys, the middle child is sleeping in, and the eldest is dead in his room. When the police were called, they came to the conclusion that one of the family members killed him, so who was it?"

 

"Oh! I think I know this one!" Jeremy beamed.

 

Though, he wasn't able to answer before Percy bounded in, announcing it was time to close up shop.

 

Noah pulled himself up from the floor with a bit of assistance from Michael. "Hey, Michael is taking me to the park later so I'm not cooped up in the house all the time. You should come join us!"

 

"We wouldn't mind the company. Better than having our father around, right?"

Jeremy responded before either Mike or Percy could. "We'd love to! Percy, are you coming?"

 

"I'll tag along. If you need a ride I'd be glad to take you."

 

    "It's alright. The exercise is good for us, and it's within walking distance."

 

    "Not two miles this time, right?"

 

    "Nah, it's more. It's like a 10 minute jog, 15 minute walk."

 

    "Wow, that's a lot. Take it easy, alright?"

 

     "Heh. Will do. We'll see you there."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

[3rd person omnipotent]

 

Percy had settled himself with Mike, Jeremy and Michael at a picnic table while Noah went off to run off his pent up energy from the past week.

 

    Michael was keeping an observant eye on his brother, making sure he wasn't getting himself hurt. Jeremy was the one to start conversation. "So, how have you guys been?"

 

    "We've been doing well. Noah's been having trouble sleeping again, so we're trying to fix that. Our father's holed up in his office, doing god knows what, just as usual."

 

"'As usual'?" Mike cut in, bewildered. "Dude, how often are you alone..?"

 

"Almost daily." Michael only glanced away from his sibling for a brief moment. "He's always locked himself up, or 'mourning' with alcohol, then coming home and getting upset with me for no reason."

 

"Man, no offense but your dad sounds like a piece of shit. If I wasn't only like a few years older than you, $3000 dollars in college debt and living off instant noodles, I'd adopt you two here and now."

 

Michael laughed. "Good to know someone cares. Henry brings it up every time we visit. It's basically like, we walk through the door and Henry and 'father dearest' say hello and hug or whatever they do, then Henry's just..." Michael pulled some hair loose from his ponytail, held it over his lip like a mustache and put on a poorly done American accent, speaking in a deep voice. "'Hey boys, you know if you ever need a place to stay away from home my key's easy to find!'"

 

       Percy snickered. "Michael, that was spot on."

 

        Michael let his hair loose to re-tie it. "Thanks, Perc. We're over there at least once or twice a week, so I have ample time to observe."

 

     "Hey, speaking of which, your dad invited me over to visit Henry this weekend, yesterday. It was bizarre. I don't know why he did, so I thought I'd ask you." Percy queried, brushing back his copper hair from his eyes.

 

        "Honestly it doesn't seem like he ever shuts up about you some days."

       "Huh? He talks about me?"

 

     "All good things. It's just so strange. All of a sudden he started praising you non-stop to just about anyone who'd listen. Especially Henry. By the way, what connection do you have with Henry? Just curious."

 

"That is strange. And he's just a good friend. Before Charlie was killed, she used to invite me over to play flashlight tag and just hang out with her. When she died, I just kind of... kept visiting.. it started as just going to make sure Henry was taking care of himself, but it just turned into routine visits."

 

"I've never met Henry so I can't relate." Mike said, a shit eating grin on his face as he tried to lighten the mood. "But I have puns!"

 

"Oh god, no."

 

"Jere-Bear doesn't like puns."

 

"Don't start."

 

"If I do Would we have to go to couples Jere-epy?"

 

"Mike stop."

 

"How about bread puns? I can always get on a roll with those."

 

"Sss _ stop _ ."

"How about cats?"

 

"No."

 

"Aw, come on, Jere, I'm just kitten around."

 

"Noooo."

 

"I'm paws-itive this'll have you feline great!"

 

"Mike I'm gonna hurt you."

 

"It'd be best if I stopped meow." Mike took off running, Jeremy giving chase.

 

"AAH-HhaaaAA!! IM SORRY JERE, I LOVE YOU!!!"

 

         Percy couldn't help but laugh as Noah joined in the chase, giggling out of pure glee.

            Michael only smiled, though he was clearly sidetracked with his phone going off. "Ugh.. one moment, I have to take this. Keep an eye on Noah for me."

 

           He stood and walked a few feet away, answering the call. Percy decided to 'purposefully overhear' as he watched the younger Afton son.

 

             "Hello..? What do you mean ‘where are we’? I told you at least 15 times we were going out to the park so Noah wasn’t pent up in the house being driven mad by isolation. He needs to get out from time to time. The same could be said for you. ... we’re not ‘unsupervised’, Perc, Jeremy and Mike are here. ... uh-huh. Uh-huh. Yeah sure, thanks I love me too.”

 

Michael hung up with a particularly irritated scoff.

 

“Who was that?”

 

“My father. He was freaking out because we apparently didn’t tell him we were going out when we did. Every time we saw him today.”

 

“I see. We should probably run you back soon, huh?”

 

“Actually, he seemed perfectly okay with it once he knew you were here. It’s so odd.”

 

“Yeah, that is pretty weird.. I’d ask him about it but he’s been acting... creepy, to say the least.”

 

“Our mother said the same thing about dating him to be honest with you.”

 

The odd implications of the conversation were forgotten in a sea of laughter.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Content Warnings of-  
> Suicide mention  
> Child death mention]
> 
> ~*~*~[Notes]~*~*~  
> [PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT THE HEALTHIEST SHIP HERE IS THE FRITZJEREMIKE, OKAY?
> 
> In deviating from my shitty past in this fandom, I really don't want to romanticize a relationship that's almost always portrayed as abusive. So I'm not. It's an abusive relationship in the end and I'll portray it as such. No romanticizing, no telling it lightly, no sugar-coating.
> 
> If you've had trouble with this in the past or find it upsetting, please, don't use this to hurt yourself. I don't want anyone to be hurt.
> 
> Thanks for coming to my TED talk, onto the story.]

"How old was she when she died?"

  
  


The question was sudden, and managed to catch Percy off guard. 

  
  


"What do you mean?"

  
  


"Charlie. How old was she?" Mike asked again, sorting through a woven pouch of art supplies.

  
  


"She was 16. Michael was a little younger, if you need an age comparison. Maybe 14 or 15.. Possibly the same age. I can’t remember… Let’s see, I’m 22 now so that’d make her... 20 I think.."

  
  


"Sorry, I know it's really touchy, but I couldn't stop thinking about it."

  
  


"No, it's fine. 4 years sure as hell isn't enough time to get over a death. Henry's still struggling so much with it. Her twin, Sammy, isn't doing too well either."

  
  


"I feel you. We're still having trouble with Fritz." Mike cursed softly as the contents of his bag spilled onto the floor in a colorful array of markers, pencils, oil pastels, and candy wrappers.

  
  


Percy shuffled over to assist in picking it up. "How's Jeremy handling that, by the way..?"

  
  


"Not well, honestly. He keeps blaming himself. Won't even sleep in the bed anymore because it keeps bringing up memories. When he does, he has the same nightmare—well, more of a flashback— and we usually have to deal with really bad headaches and phantom pains. That's why I had to take a break from night shift yesterday. Jere started panicking in his sleep just as I was getting ready."

  
  


"How old was he?"

  
  


"20 and divorced. Had a 5 year old daughter, too. Her death was probably a pretty big breaking point in his own... then the next month the whole bite happened, and he was so sure Jeremy was going to die as well. He was going around in a super deep funk. Wouldn't eat, wouldn't sleep, wouldn't say anything. November 12th, 1987. I'll never forget it. Next day, I got the news that he was dead... killed on the job.."

  
  


"Only 20? God, man, I'm so sorry.."

  
  


Mike took a second to regain composure. "No need to apologize. It's like you said. 4 years isn't enough. 'Specially when you're so close." An awkward, tearful laugh. 

  
  


"Do you know what happened to Jeremy with the bite?"

  
  


"A little bit, yeah. It was on the job. I was told by the company that he'd been standing a little too close to one of the bots, and the jaw malfunctioned and snapped down with more force that it was intended to even use. More than it needs. He told me later that it had attacked him. It’s one of the big things he can remember. You mentioned they'd been acting really weird around adults, right? He'd been in the back room with all the old animatronics, if I remember correctly. Then next thing he knew, he'd been attacked. Chica I think. Spent almost three months in the hospital because of the damage to his brain. I remember considering bringing him multiple bouquets of lilies every week."

  
  
  


"Still, that must have been hard on you."

  
  
  


"It was, but I'm glad he's okay now. C'mon, we should probably get going. It's getting late."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

When the phone rang, Jeremy was the one to pick it up twirling the receiver in his hand. "Hank’s crematorium. You kill ‘em, we grill ‘em, this is Jeremy speaking, how may I help you?

  
  


"Ha ha. Nice one, Jeremy. I haven't heard you use that one yet." a woman with a slight, faded German accent replied, laughing. "Is Mike in?" 

  
  


Jeremy chuckled as well. "Yeah, hold on, I'll get him for you." Jeremy placed a hand on the receiver. "Hey Mike!! Your mom called!! Come get the phone!!"

  
  
  


"One sec! I'm feeding Q-Bert!" Mike chorused back from the duo's shared room.

  
  
  


"He'll be in in a minute, he's feeding his snake."

  
  
  


A few moments later, Mike slid in, taking the phone from Jeremy and greeting his mother cheerfully in slightly broken German. Jeremy could hear the woman laugh on the other line.

  
  


The two continued their conversation  for a good while, leaving Jeremy awkwardly to himself.

  
  
  


"So, how's the marriage coming along?" Mike chirped, idly playing with the phone cord. "Assuming it's still legal where you are?"

  
  


"Very well." Jeremy listened to the call as best he could. "We're planning the wedding as soon as possible. Hopefully a few months from now. Of course, you and your boyfriends are invited."

  
  
  


_ Boyfriends.  _ The plural struck Jeremy like a sour note. An arrow straight through the heart. She was obviously referring to Fritz. Had she forgotten? Or did she not know to begin with? 

  
  
  


"Uh.. about that... I've only got.. one boyfriend now..."

  
  


"Oh? Is everything okay? Was there a breakup?"

  
  


"No.. uh... there was a bad injury.. and um.. a death..supposed suicide..."

  
  


"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry for your loss..."

  
  


"Thank you, but I think Jeremy's taking it a lot worse than I am."

  
  


"If either of you need anything, don't be afraid to call, alright? We're here for you both."

  
  


"Thanks, mom. I really appreciate it."

  
  


"I've got to go for now, but you two stay safe, alright?"

  
  


"Alright. Love you."

  
  


"Love you too."

  
  


Mike hung up, turning around to see Jeremy with his hands buried in his face, trembling as he bit back tears.

  
  


"Shit! Fuck, Jere, what's the matter?" Mike fussed over Jeremy for a moment before pulling him into a hug.

  
  


"I'm s-so-sorry.." Jeremy coughed out. "It's so h-hard to de-d-deal wi-with this.."

  
  


Mike gently combed his fingers through Jeremy's hair. "I know, it really is... but we gotta power through this. It's what he would have wanted."

  
  


"It should have been me.."

  
  


"But then I'd have no boyfriends.. what would I do then?"

  
  


"You would have still had Fritz..." Jeremy sniffled, tightening his grip on Mike's shoulders.

  
  


"I hate to say this, but I really do think he'd been planning it for a while... he must not have wanted us to worry about him."

  
  


After a moment, Jeremy sat up, rubbing his eyes. 

  
  


"Mike, I don't think his death was a suicide. I don't think it was even the animatronics. He promised us he wouldn’t. He was getting better and didn’t show any signs.. And if I can remember anything, it’s those _fucking_ _awful_ animatronic teeth. There's literally no way they would cause injuries of that severity..."

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

"Hey, did you hear about those kids that went missing recently?"

  
  


"Oh yeah. It's pretty scary to be honest. I hope that kidnapper knows that if he tries to nab my kids, my husband's a cop and I have a taser!"

  
  


Two mothers were having an all-over-the-place conversation as their children ran around in a chattering cloud. They'd occasionally scatter, then regroup over and over to watch the bots on stage. Percy kept a close eye on them, Noah doodling on some loose leaf paper while Michael scribbled down another math problem, pulling a third gumball from his bag of candies as he focused on the work next to him.

 

"Hey Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"You're good at math, right?"

"Uh, somewhat, yeah."

"What's 54 divided by 9?"

"Uhhh...  6, I’m pretty sure."

"I think I did this problem wrong.."

"Probably. Maybe you wrote down a number wrong somewhere."

"Maybe."

"Hey, Hey, play nice kids!" Percy called to a duo of particularly rowdy children. "So, how's life at home? Any better as of late?"

"Hardly."

"I won't pry unless you're willing to share."

Noah army scrawled over to Percy, tugging on his pant leg and handing him a drawing.

"It's not as good as what Mike can do, but I tried my best!" He pulled himself up, picking up his beloved plush and pointing to the drawing. "I tried to do the badge but it blended in with the purple."

"It still looks great! Thank you, Noah!"

"You can fold it up if you need to, I don't mind."

"I'll put it up on my cork board when I get home so the dogs don't get to it." Percy said, ruffling Noah's hair.

Noah laughed in response, sliding back down to make another drawing.

"You know, you're really good with kids, Percy."

"Well, I mean, when you have to keep them safe from jamming fingers in mechanisms, you probably would get used to them— Hey! No touching Freddy, kids!!— besides, it gets pretty tiring having to rescue kids from a ball pit every half hour."

"Yeah, but you manage to be so nice about it. A lot of the other dayshift workers were really mean to them."

"Like your dad?"

Michael laughed. "Yeah. Like my dad."

"Those are some nice doodles there."

"Huh? Oh. Thanks, I guess."

"So, any other news?"

The Puppet peeked out of their box, waving a few stray children away from the door with a cheerful trill and confetti.

"Not really, everything is just the same as always. Sammy came over to visit with Henry the other day to show off some sort of machine he's made. It's pretty interesting, honestly. He said he's spending the week at Henry's. We're going over tonight, you should join us!"

"Eh, I dunno. I don't want to intrude at all. It’s been so long since I’ve been over there."

"I doubt either my father or Henry will think you're intrusive. They both like you quite a lot."

"That's still odd, to be entirely honest with you. Your dad's whole sudden interest in me, Henry I’m used to. He’s still practically my dad."

"It is rather odd. Well, you can ask him about it when you see him, right?"

"Yeah. Sure thing.."


	6. Chapter 6; A Marriage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning  
> I changed William's ex-wife's name because I.... really like murder ballads..... and pretty Polly was one of the first ones I listened to....... I'm sorry for consistency issues ;v;
> 
> Additionally, I finally figured out a name for my Phone Guy. So Percy = Scott.
> 
> Reference to injury, graphic depictions of violence, mentioned divorce, child death/severe injury, Polly is the sweetest woman on earth until William is within 10 feet of her, then she is a gorgeous demon and I love her.

 

If Percy didn't expect anything, it would have been William talking fondly of his ex-wife.

 

The last thing he expected was for her to show up in order to see her children for a day and see how William was faring.

 

But there she was.

 

Blonde hair tied into a tight ponytail on top of her head, green eyes scanning the room for a recognized face.

 

God, she looked nothing like Percy imagined her.

 

It was rather odd that Noah and Michael took after their father more, but who was he to question genes?

 

It was a surprise, to say the very least. She and William's relationship had ended on quite the sour note. Percy wasn't sure why. Neither of them would tell him.

 

Well, William wouldn't tell him.

 

He'd never met his ex-wife until today.

 

When Noah caught sight of her, he scrambled to his feet, scurrying over to his mother and practically tackling her. Michael followed in anxious pursuit, warning his brother to be careful with his injuries.

 

"Oh, goodness! It's so good to see you again, Noah!" The woman chirped, effortlessly picking up and spinning her son. "And Michael! Look at how much you've grown!"

 

Michael chuckled slightly. "Well, I couldn't exactly shrink." The duo exchanged proper greetings and hugs.

 

"Oh! Noah, what happened!?"

 

She must not know about the bite.

 

"I got a haircut!" Noah chirped proudly, fluffing his hair. He'd gotten the sides trimmed, which showed off the scars from his surgery in the attempt to deal with the TBI.

 

"No, no, to your eye! There's a bruise!"

 

Oh. Maybe she does.

 

"Oh.. I ran into a someone a lot harder than expected at school, face-first. I'm okay though! You should see the other guys! ... not a single scratch on them." An awkward laugh.

 

"Alright, if you're sure. Your haircut is still very handsome, though."

 

Noah beamed, Michael's face turning up into a smile as well.

 

"Do you two know where your father is? I need a word with him."

 

Noah shook his head, pointing to Percy. "No, but Percy probably knows."

 

Percy waved slightly, nervously, but if he was shaking at all, he didn't notice it. "He's probably in the back. I can't let you in there, but I can get him for you if you'd like?"

 

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

 

Percy awkwardly shuffled his way into the back offices and searching around for the man. "Uh, A-Boss? Your ex-wife is here and she wants to talk to you.." he called out, attempting to listen for a sound to follow.

 

Someone emerged, though it wasn't William. Henry peeked out of the room. "Oh, Perc. You looking for Will?"

 

"Yeah, uh.. his ex-wife showed up and wants to talk to him."

 

"You can bring her back if you want. I'll get him for you."

 

"Oh, okay. I'll, um... go.. do that.."

 

More awkward shuffling, Percy peered out the door. "Hey, uh... Henry says you can come back here to talk to him if you want."

 

The woman smiled sweetly, making her way over to Percy and thanking him as she entered.

 

It was about time to close up shop, so Percy meandered his way around and looked for stray kids before bringing Noah and Michael into the back as well so they wouldn't be alone while he did his own work.

 

He cleared his throat softly. "So.. what's your mom's name?"

 

"Step-mum for me," Michael replied, pulling his curly hair from its holder and a bottle of lemon juice from his bag. Percy couldn’t tell why. "Her name is Polly."

 

"Oh, I see. Do you know why she and your dad divorced?"

 

"Not really, I was 5 and Noah was 2. Something to do with abuse, probably."

 

"Hold up, hold up! Abuse!?"

 

"You didn't know?"

 

"No?!"

 

"Oh... well, uh... there were allegations at least. That's what Henry told us. Polly didn't want to stay anyway."

 

"Dad's.. really mean when he gets drunk.." Noah added softly, holding his bear tightly to his chest.

 

"Jesus Christ... Have either of you ever been hurt? I-if you need a place to stay I have room if you can put up with my dogs—"

 

"No, it's fine! It's fine. I'm not too far from moving out. Just a bit longer and a job and we'll be out of there."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Yeah. I've been looking for something that pays well. Junior's is in need of somebody on night guard, but I can't leave Noah alone at night."

 

Noah gently grabbed onto his brother's shirt, pressing his forehead into Michael's back.

 

"He still has those night terrors.."

 

"Oh.. aw geez, is he recovering from.." Percy gestured to the side of his head, not wanting to upset Noah in any way. ".. still?"

 

A knock at the door.

 

"Uh. Yeah."

 

"Michael, Noah," William's voice came from outside the office. "It's time to go home."

 

"Coming, just give us a sec to pack up. I'll see you tomorrow, Perc. Or sooner, who knows."

 

Another knock. "Boys, come on."

 

"We're coming! Calm down!"

 

The two brothers left, William waving at Percy as they did.

 

“Hey, Percy. Could you possibly come see me tomorrow?” He had to have noticed Percy’s worried expression, as a few moments later, he clarified, “Nothing bad, don’t worry. We just don’t talk as much as we did when you were living with Henry. I wanna know how you’ve been doing.”

 

“O-oh! Oh. Okay. Uh.. s-sure. Yeah.”

 

An odd smile. “See you tomorrow, Perc.”

 

“Yeah.. s-see you then, Mister Afton.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Finally, some interaction!
> 
> Also I have a fic I’m working on here   
> https://my.w.tt/UiNb/uVCJXVzY3N  
> It’s Magpies and it’s basically my AU so
> 
> Enjoy ig


End file.
